Fish screen



Nov. 20, 1928.v

G. C. KINNEY FISH SCREEN Patented Nov. 20, Y1928.

` UNITED .STATES GEORGE c. invariata or iaIsHo'Igv CALIFORNIA. l

' EIsH scaEEN.

Application filed J une 9,`

My invention relates to a selffcleaning fish screen device particularly designed for use in'an artificial waterway and including a current wheel disposed in the stream of the waterway. 1

An object of the invention is to provide a novel mounting for the current wheel whcreby the wheel, while normally disposed to have the blades thereofsweep in vfixed paths with respect vto the bed of the waterway, may be so displaced by and upon a lodgment of dbris thereunder as to allow the escape of the dbris.

- Anotherlobject of the invention is to provide a generally improved structure for a device of the character described which will require a minimum of attention.v

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, `some of which, with the foregoing, will beset forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is rillust-rated in the `drawings accompanying and vforming part of the specification." It is to be understood, how- 25. ever, thatvariations in the showing made by the said drawings and description `may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 2 is a side view of the device. Figures 3 and l are end sectional views taken respectively on thelines S-Brand -et in Figure 2. ,l As herewith particularly disclosed,th e device of my invention is incorporated with and carried by a flume section 6 providing a water channel 7 of rectangular cross-section and arranged to be insertedin a waterway. In the present embodiment of the invention, the section 6 is formed of-concrete and is open at the top, with the channel 7 defined between opposed kside walls 8 which extend upwardly from'a bottom wall 9. `Mounted in the vchannel adjacent the bottom'thereof to extend transversely thereacrossis a roller 11, such roller being here *shownv mounted on stub-shafts 12 extending axially from the roller and journalled inthe walls 8. Pivotally mounted at the outer sides of the Walls 8 for rotation about the axis of rotation of the roller 11, is a pair of strut members 13, these members being of such length thatrwhen disposed to slope upwardly from their pivoted ends at an angle of about 45 degrees, they will protrude above the top edges 14 of the walls 8.

.per ends of the strutsy 13 on stub shafts 1927; :l Serial No. 197,562.

Aroller 16 is carried by and between the up- 17 extending therefrom and journalled in the strut ends. A

It will now be noted-that therollers 11 and 16 are arranged to cooperatively carryan endless and'l-exible belt or band 18 formed of a suitable screening, and that the struts 13 are preferably of adjustable length whereby the rollers may be adjusted to so engage the band that rotation of either roller will eect arotation of the band about the rollers. The pivotal mounting of the struts 13l permits an angular adjustment thereof and the' struts are preferably so positioned as to dispose the plane portions of the band to slope upwardly 1 o f the lower roller 11 in adown-stream direction and at an angle of substantially l5 degrees, adjustably positionable stops 20 being provided on the outeil sides of walls 8 for supportably engaging' the struts. The band 18 is preferablyof a width to have its side edges so disposed with respect to th'ewalls 8 as to' prevent the passage thereby nof objects toolarge to pass lthrough the interstices of the band, and the lower roller 11 is so disposed with respect to the bottom of the chan n nel as to prevent-the movement of such ob-` jects under the roller. n Preferably, teeth 19 are provided on the rollers for engagement with the band 18 forv insuring and proper .positioning thereof.

It will now be clear that an appropriate rotation ofthe screen carrying rollers will cause the upstream surface of the screen to the rotation 'y f be moved obliquely upwardly out of the' stream whereb any dbris lodging against the screen willY be carried away to prevent clogging of the screen, and a water wheel 21 for effecting such movement ofthe rollers is accordingly provided. The water wheel 21 may be of any suitable structure, and as here shown, is formed with blades 22 mounted on and connecting the arms of'spiders 23 fixed on a shaft 24, which shaft is carried in bearing lblocks 26 mounted on the opposite walls 8. Journalled on ay stub-(shaft 27 extending outwardly from. one of the blocksy 26 parallel spaced relation from the shaft 241is .a gear 28, such gear being arranged to maintain a meshed engagement with a gear' 29 fixed on shaft 24. As here shown, the gear 28 carries a chain sprocket 31,' while the'appropriate stub shaft 17- of roller 16 is pro vided with a chain sprocket 32, the sprockets 31 and 32 being disposed in coplanar relation for operative connection by means ot a chain belt 33.V In thismanner, a belted and geared connection between the wheel and belt rollers is providLV d inV such a manner as to produce the desired movement of the belt as the wheel Y revolves in the stream. lt will, of curse,be

obvious that while the wheel is here shown mounted in down-stream relation to the screen,it might, it desired, be placed in upstream relation thereto without affecting the operative relations involved.

Prefert-.bly the wheel is disposed to have its various blades normally sweep close to the bottom" wall 9 whereby the immersion oi' the blades will always be amaximum; But under such conditions, dbris carried by the stream is liable to become, wedged between zr blade and the bottom 9 before the blade reaches its lowest point of travel whereby. if means are not provided 'for releasing such dbris, the rotationof the wheel may be stopped and .the

device thus' renderedJ inoperative.l ingly, the bearing blocks 26`are not fixed with relation to the walls 8, but are slidably mount ed for `displacement from'y the bottom ends of upwardly directedgguideways 3st provided in lmembers 35 secured tothe walls as by bolts SlT-Las here' shown, the guidewaysA are provided in the members 36 byforming them of pairs of iixedly related opposed channels 381 lnthis manner it will now be clear that in the event of dbris collecting betweenV a blade and the bottom, the wedging. of such ydebris beneath a blade willl exert aA lifting. force through the wheel spokes vcarrying it' whereby the upward displacement of the wheel i Yi l be effected and the dbris and blade will be allowed to move forwardly until the former is clear of the latter, after whichY the wheel` will resume its normal? position.

To insure a displacement of the wheel in themanner specii'ed, a part of the weight o'li the wheel and bearing bloclr structure is preferably arrangedw to be counterbalanced by means of counter-weights 39, such weights beingl mounted on the free ends of cables el fixed to the bearing blocks 26 and carried over pulleys flinounted on the .members 36. ln this mann r, thje dbris releasing displacement ot the wheell may occur without necessitating the buil-ding up of van unduly large wedgingeflect'by thedbris. To permit the requisite upward displacement of the wheel, the sprockets 3l and 82 are preferably so spaced thatacertain amount ot slack is provided in chain 33, it. being noted that the Vneeessary adjustment'is provided by means of the adjustablepositioningof the lstops 2O against which the struts 18 of the' screen mounting rest "t `will now be particularly noted thatrthe Accord? y vweight forceat said blo'clrf.; i

' the screen isthus rendered unnecessary. In

this manner the elimination of the necessity 'for actually removing the-dbris from theV streamA produces aj simplified mechain'snr which involves a minimum ot parts, may be lett unattended tor' long'fperiods, andatthe saine time permits the normally lined dispo-V sition ot the wlgieel inthe st-rcanr for. a maximum immersion theres t.

l. claim: 1'. In a device olii the character described', the combination ott a Hume; a'e lislrsereen of the endless belt type mounted in said flume; av

water wheely supported on a rotatable shaft and disposed in the channel of said flume',y bearing, blocks Ylor said shat't supported by saidftlnme and displaceable upwardly from their normal position, andmeans operatively connecting` said sha-ft tofsaid screen.

2. lin iish screen mechanism of the character described, an operatingrwater wheel-there for ca'nriedV on aV rotatable slratt, a bearingT block torsaid shaift,` and a5 linedsupport` for,

block. therefrom in a'- predetermined` direction. Y

3. In a device or tf-hecharacter described',

asV

the combination of a fiume,` a-'li'slr screenE or the endless belt type mounted in saidr fiume, a water wheell disposed in sai-d thune and y operatively connectedv to said screen, bearing members for said' wheel' normally and' displaceably supported on said fiume, and means i carried by said iume providing an upwardly directed guideway ior said' bearing members.

4l. In fish screen mechanism. of` the chisteter described, an.operatingI water wheel therefor, a bearing 'block' 'for said wheel, a fined member providing'A an upwardly directed guideway for said bearing lockd at thebbo tomv o t which: said beariijig block` arranged to be normally dlsposedin supported engagementwiththe fiume, and acounteroveight arv rangedV to maintain a lifting` torce onysaid bearing block-in the direction or"k said guideway whereby. thefnccessary torce` for lifting said wheel and block wil-l' be bien the lnl testin'iony whereof, l havehere-untoset Vmy ll'and at Bishop, California; this 3l dafy @if Memer. l onen-Gn o. Kinnnn 

